The Things No One Tells You About Postpartum Recovery

Below are links to some of the best blogs I’ve found regarding the truth (sometimes ugly) about postpartum recovery. No one likes to talk about it, but these blogs are true, often humorous, and helpful. Take a look!

http://www.thealphaparent.com/2012/12/timeline-of-postpartum-recovery.html?m=1

So you’ve just had a baby? Congrats! I bet you’re raring to get back to your aerobics class and daily jogs (huh? who are you telling to shut up?), but hold the sit-ups. Your body has its own timeline for recovery, and it’s important to take heed.

In less than a year, you conceived, developed and delivered a beautiful, living creature. To perform this feat your body underwent some tremendous changes. Even after birth, you’ll experience more.

Whether you had a vaginal delivery or caesarean section, this timeline is for you. Being informed of the process of postpartum recovery will help you to appreciate the phenomenal transformation your body is undergoing. (click to read on alphaparent.com)

http://theleakyboob.com/2010/12/a-time-to-heal-a-look-at-postpartum-recovery/

I often see or hear of women pushing themselves to return to normal as quickly as possible after birth.  In a hurry to get their life and body back they jump into a myriad of activities at warp speed, often just days after giving birth.  Riding on the birth and baby high, pumped full of adrenaline yet restless from the last few weeks of pregnancy, particularly if they felt like a watched pot, these women fill their schedule, attack their house, and find new projects determined to not be slowed down, impatiently trying to control and master this new version of normal.  These women are often viewed with admiration and awe and the media highlights celebrities that are back to their prepregnant weight by 6 weeks or were spotted out jogging at 3 weeks or were back on the set of their TV show at 10 days.  This is held up as the epitome of a strong woman, give birth, bounce back, conquer world.  After all, women in China squat in a rice field, push their baby out and throw them on their back then return to work, right? (click link to read the complete blog on theleakyboob.com)

http://thatwifeblog.com/2010/06/03/postpartum-recovery/

Before OMGMom published her post Bodily Functions After Baby I had no idea how much work it was to do something as normal as using the restroom. Before I gave birth I decided that I wanted to keep a log of my recover for the first few weeks, to give all of you a better idea what recovering from a vaginal birth is like. The italicized text below is being added in now, 7 weeks later, for clarification in certain areas. Otherwise what you are writing is copied directly from my iphone, where I took noted in between feedings and bathroom breaks (or sometimes during bathroom breaks, as relieving my bowels was terrifying and I was often in there a long time trying to convince myself I could do it!) (click link above to read entire blog)

http://thatwifeblog.com/2010/04/20/guest-post-bodily-functions-after-baby/

Today we are going to talk about your vagina. HELLO!

When I was pregnant, I didn’t read about any of this in those stupid “What to Expect….” books, so I’m here today to talk about it so you wont have to hear it from your friends.

This is just one of many new bodily functions you will experience in the days after you give birth. Now, this is how it usually goes for regular/normal vaginal hospital births in the US, so sorry C-section and home birth/water birth friends. Can’t help you, cause I have no freaking idea what the heck happened during your birth in the tub or afterwards when it was time for you to make poo. (click to read link on thatwifeblog.com)